I was thinking this morning just how amazing it is that God is in control of history. Regardless of whether we feel like we have control or things are completely out of control, God IS in control. In fact, in Exodus 3:14, He says, “I AM.” Sit for a second and know that…God IS. He is in control: past, present, and future.
“God reigns over the nations; God is seated on His holy throne. The nobles of the nations assemble as the people of the God of Abraham, for the kings of the earth belong to God; He is greatly exalted.” (Psalm 47:8-9)
Read that Psalm a couple of times and let it sink in. According to the writer, God is the king of all the earth; He sits on a throne and rules every single person on this planet, whether they acknowledge Him or not. Every event in the course of history and every event that will come is under the control of God. Take some time to think about the power of God and thank Him for who He is!
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We’ve been talking a lot about the Israelites in the Northern Kingdom and their failure to heed the warnings of the prophets. In fact, Hosea was actually the last prophet that God sent to warn the people of the coming destruction. In Hosea 1-2, we learn that the people have been adulterous and have turned from God, but we don’t see the full extent of what they’re doing. Well lucky for us, the whole story is recorded in the book of 2 Kings. Today, let’s look at a few Scriptures to get some background information on the people of the Northern Kingdom:
“They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their ancestors and the statutes he had warned them to keep. They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless. They imitated the nations around them although the LORD had ordered them, ‘Do not do as they do.'” (2 Kings 17: 15)
“The Israelites persisted in all the sins of Jeroboam and did not turn away from them until the LORD removed them from his presence, as he had warned through all his servants the prophets. So the people of Israel were taken from their homeland into exile in Assyria, and they are still there.” (2 Kings 17:22-23)
2 Kings 17:7-23, written after the fall of the Northern Kingdom, goes through the history of Israel up until the fall in 722 B.C. That’s crazy! You can literally read in Hosea where God warns the people of what will take place, then turn a few pages back in Scripture to read a history of what happened. Not surprisingly, it happened EXACTLY as God said it would. The people were exiled into Assyria and forced into slavery. They lost their homes, families, religious festivals, ceremonies, temple, and king, just like Hosea prophesied that they would.
You may be tempted to think “cool,” and not give all of this a second thought, but stop and think about history for a second. This is not simply a small event that is taking place; this is a detailed series of events involving many nations, people groups, kings, decisions, motives, etc. There are a lot of factors involved in taking over a country, and God predicted through the prophets each and every one!! Wow!!
I love how the end of verse 15 reads in the Amplified Version of the Bible:
“…they followed vanity (false gods-falsehood, emptiness, and futility) and they themselves and their prayers became false (empty and futile).”
What a beautiful statement of what happens when we fall into the trap of vanity. The original Hebrew word used in this passage was Hebel, meaning a vapor, breath, or something worthless. The Israelites chose to worship worthless idols made by human hands, rather than the one true God, and became worthless and empty themselves. The sad part of all of this is that God warned them; they knew what would happen, but refused to listen.
Just like the Israelites, when we follow worthless desires, idols, and ambitions, we render ourselves useless and empty. And why would we choose this, when we serve a God that loves us so much? He desires that we follow Him and Him alone, and He wants to use our lives for His glory. Through the Lord, we can live a life filled with purpose!
It all goes back to the earlier statement that “God IS.” When tempted to worry, lose heart, give up, or stray from the path, remember that God is and always will be seated on His throne. Commit your heart and your ways to Him, chase after Him and Him alone, and He will fill you with a divine joy and amazing purpose!